Tourists Are Already Destroying California's Super Bloom

Southern California may be known for its hot and dry landscapes (hello, Death Valley), but every once in a blue moon, the normally arid region becomes awash in bright yellow, pink, and purple blooms. This is commonly known as a "super bloom," a rare phenomenon in which an area's number of wildflowers exceed typical spring blooms—and California is currently experiencing one, thanks to the state's unusually plentiful (and much welcomed) showers this past winter.

For a super bloom to occur, there must be a perfect combination of rain and favorable temperatures (plus an absence of damaging winds), hence the rarity of the phenomenon. We usually only get to see a super bloom in California about once every decade, but this year's bloom is only a couple years behind the second most recent occurrence in 2017. Two super blooms in three years? We're here for it.

One of the most popular places to see the blooms has been Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore, a lakeside city southeast of Los Angeles. Since the flowers popped up in early March, thousands of people have swarmed the area every day, reports USA Today, causing standstill traffic on Interstate 15 and surrounding city streets. The gridlock and tourists desperately seeking selfies have grown increasingly worse, reaching crisis levels this past weekend. After a few days of visitors screaming at traffic directors, trampling flowers, and getting bitten by rattlesnakes, the city of Lake Elsinore was forced to declare the super bloom a public safety emergency. (This. This is why we can't have nice things.)

The Riverside County city has been posting updates to its Facebook page for the past few days, including frequent videos of the mayor helping city employees (who have had to work seven days straight, 12 hours a day) and sharing the horrible road conditions. Each post is accompanied by a series of heartbreaking hashtags, including #HangInThere and #IsItOverYet. The city even shut down Walker Canyon on March 17, but was pressured to reopen the site one day later. "The City continues to evaluate all possible options to reduce the strain on our community, the freeway, and local roadways," reads the post announcing the reopening. "At this time, it is not feasible for us to keep visitors away from #WalkerCanyon."

Lake Elsinore city officials may not be able to shut visitors out at this time, but they do strongly encourage people to consider other locations for flower peeping. The city suggests the following nearby sites as viable alternatives:

And since we're basically living in a world run by selfie-takers, we feel the need to remind travelers to avoid the following activities: wandering off designated walking paths, laying down on top of delicate poppies, free-climbing boulders without proper training and equipment, and attempting strenuous hikes in sundresses and wedge heels. (Yes, Walker Canyon tourists attempted all of these things in pursuit of the perfect 'gram.)

Aside from Lake Elsinore's list of suggested sites above, you can find some legendary fields of bright flowers at any of the following locations. And be sure to visit sooner rather than later: The super bloom may only last for another week or so in most locations.

Joshua Tree National Park

As if you needed another reason to visit Joshua Tree National Park, the site now has a super bloom of its own: dense swathes of tall, purple lupine blooming in the desert, with yellow dandelions and poppies mixed in. From L.A., take exit 168 for Cottonwood Springs Road off the 10 Freeway and head north into the park, then hike along the Bajada Nature Trail to get the best views of the flowers, which will peak during March and April. (Regions above 5,000 feet may have plants blooming as late as June.)

Diamond Valley Lake

Diamond Valley Lake's wildflower trail opened on March 9 in the southwest Riverside County reserve, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Golden poppies have just started to spring up in the fields around the reservoir, and peak bloom is expected sometime in mid- to late-March. The trail is open Wednesdays through Sundays; entry fees are $10 to park and $3/person to hike.

For purple sand verbena: Drive east on Highway S-22, then park in the large pullout between mile markers 30 and 31.

For desert sunflower, brown-eyed primrose, desert lilies, and lupine: Drive east on Highway S-22, park by mile marker 35, and walk into Arroyo Salado, Coachwhip Canyon, or Ella Wash. (Flowers are currently nearing their peak.)

For yellow poppies: Visit the "Texas Dip" on Borrego Springs Road just north of Highway 78, or the Cactus Loop Trail across from the Tamarisk Grove campground.

For yellow desert dandelions: Drive north on DiGiorgio Road in Borrego Springs.

For pretty much everything: Head to the popular wildflower field along Henderson Canyon Road, between DiGiorgio Road and S-22.

Many of the above sites are just seeing the beginning stages of a super bloom, so as long as weather conditions remain steady, we could potentially see peak blooms last through late March or into early April.

Lake Elsinore

If you still want to endure the traffic, crowds, and lack of parking at Walker Canyon, you'll be rewarded seas of purple, yellow, and orange wildflowers (as long as the Instagram influencers haven't smashed them all yet, of course).

To get to the site from Los Angeles, exit Lake Street off Interstate 15 and turn onto Walker Canyon Road. Be sure to obey the parking signs and stay on the trail to avoid trampling the flowers. The Lake Elsinore Chamber of Commerce predicts the bloom will only be around for another week or so, at which point changing weather and hungry insects will strip the colors away.